King of My Heart
by Fictional Affliction
Summary: Duncney drabble told in two parts
1. Part 1

Her thumb moved aimlessly against her phone as she sipped her coffee and waited for the morning meeting to start. It was too early for anyone to be functioning and the lawyer found herself the first one to the conference room. Courtney liked to be early to meetings, it gave her time to compile her thoughts and she felt like she had an advantage when she was the prepared before her coworkers.

Being Courtney though, she had throughly gone over the case night before and now didn't have much to do while she waited. So she did what anyone who needed something to do did: checked all of her social media apps. She didn't have time to post much anymore. This was her first job out of law school and she was hell bent on proving herself, leaving little to no time for a social life to document, or to see what anyone else who actually had a social life was up to.

Courtney was slightly jealous as she scrolled through Instagram and saw that her peers were spending their twenties traveling, getting engaged, and even starting families; but she knew that her chosen path would pay off. It took sacrifice and dedication and she had learned what it cost to meet her goals.

Her finger paused over the image of one of the people that her ambition had taken from her. Right off the bat her heart fluttered at the sight of his smile.

The picture had to have been taken by someone else because the photo was of his profile with him looking away from the camera. He was shirtless and mid workout at the gym. It came to no surprise that he would be such a show off, he had always been cocky about his looks. Courtney checked to the door of the conference room, making sure that she was still alone, and allowed herself to linger on the photo.

He looked great if she was being completely honest with herself. His body was toned and he'd gained muscle. It had been years, which clouded her memory, but he didn't have the build of a the teenage boy she'd known anymore. The muscles in his arm were tense from the barbel he was holding, which brought Courtney's attention to the tattoos inked on his skin. His whole right arm was covered and it was mesmerizing for her eyes to follow the patterns and images.

Her eyes widened when they caught one particular tattoo. It was a little faded, but still clearly present. She was sure he would have gotten it covered up, but among the sleeve of tattoos was that small red heart that they had gotten together ages go. A symbol of how they were going to love each other forever. But forever ended too soon...

Courtney rolled up the left sleeve of her blouse. The inside of her elbow reflected the same image. She had meant to get it removed, but kept putting it off. Now there was no reason for her to still have the tattoo and yet she couldn't get rid of it. She looked back to the photo of Duncan and the tattoo they shared. Her thumb hovered over the image. She took a deep breath and in a split decision, hit the 'like' button.

Just as she did the conference room door swung open and her boss entered along with another employee. As she greeted them she pulled down her sleeved, and pushed thoughts of lost love to the back of her mind.


	2. Part 2

Courtney's feet took her as fast as she could down the hallway. Her heels slid on the tile floor when she stopped short, almost passing the room she had been directed to. She was nearly out of breath when she opened the door.

"Princess!" She was greeted excitedly. Courtney looked incredulously at Duncan. He was laying in a hospital bed with a big smile on his face, as if everything about this situation was normal. Courtney sighed in relief that he was indeed not dying but her anger flared in the place of her previous concern.

Courtney walked over to the bed and put her hands on her hips.

"Are you going to live?"

"Yeah, it's just a few scrapes and bruises, why?" Courtney punched him square in the arm causing him to recoil and clutch his arm in pain.

"What the fuck Courtney?" Duncan yelped.

"Why did I get a call saying that you got into a motorcycle accident and were in the emergency room?" He was about to divulge the details of said accident and that black ice can be really tricky when he realized what she meant.

"Because you're my emergency contact?" He stated obviously.

"Why am I your emergency contact?"

"Uh... well you're the most responsible person I know and I didn't want my mom freaking out over nothing."

"Duncan we haven't dated in eight years!" Courtney pointed out to him in case he forgot.

"So? I did it when I was eighteen and never changed it." Courtney was livid and took it out by continually punching Duncan in the arm.

"Ow, ow, ow!" He yelled and grabbed her arms. "Stop hitting me!"

Courtney yanked her arms away and sat on the edge of the hospital bed and rubbed her temples. He was unbelievable. A corner of Duncan's mouth turned down, she had been worried, she wouldn't have reacted this way if she wasn't. Even if they hadn't been together in years, he knew her inside out.

"You look really nice..." He offered, trying to make conversation and change the subject.

"I was at a company party."

"Oh... sorry..."

"It's fine, it was boring anyway." Now that the urgency had worn off, the awkward feeling from not being in the same room with each other for so long had settled in. The only contact that they had was from when Courtney had liked his Instagram photo a few months back, which reminded her that he had never given any sign that he saw or cared. Suddenly she felt like a real idiot.

"I should go." Courtney was almost out the door but Duncan stopped her.

"Why did you like my picture?" There it was, she hoped that she would leave without it being brought up. She kept her back turned to him as she tried to give him a quick answer that would satisfy enough.

"It was a nice picture...no big deal." She shrugged. Duncan was disappointed. He hadn't stopped thinking about it since it happened. As soon as he saw it his first instinct was to message her, or even call her because he missed her voice, but didn't she still hate him? He couldn't find the right words to break the ice then, but now she was right in front of him and he wasn't going to let her slip away again without at least getting answers.

"Are you sure?" He challenged. Courtney contemplated her options, she could say yes and leave, and try to ignore the what if's for the rest of her life, or...

Courtney turned around and made her way back to the hospital bed. When she didn't say anything Duncan looked at her questioningly. Gently she touched the tip of her finger to his bicep where his heart tattoo resided. Duncan shivered at her feather light touch and tried to play it cool.

"Oh that? I have so many it's not noticeable so-" Courtney ignored his lame excuse and slipped off her coat. Underneath she wore a short sleeve dress. She extended her arm out next to his, their matching hearts side by side.

"That's why..." Courtney said, cutting him off.

Duncan looked down at the red ink on her skin, then up to her face, then back down again.

He broke his fixated gaze to reach up and kiss her. His hand gently wrapped around the back of her neck as her shock wore off and she relaxed into it. When he pulled away he was grinning from ear to ear.

"You still love me." He taunted in a singsong voice as if they were children.

"No I don't!" Her eyes widened, "I mean... I don't know!" Duncan chuckled at her frustration, he missed this.

"Admit it princess, you still love me!"

"I do not!"

"I think you do." Courtney puffed out air and rested her forehead against Duncan's.

"Maybe..." She whispered. Duncan shook his head and snuck in another kiss.

"I can work with maybe."


End file.
